Updated on Oct 22nd 2011 at 7:25 AM from the JustGiving API

Last one tomorrow. Nervous!

Updated on Sep 8th 2011 at 10:51 PM from the JustGiving API

60 miles on bike became 83....and off road the whole way. Ow.

What am I doing?

In this instance the answer is easy -I'm flogging myself a little, in order to raise some money for the ABF -The Soldiers Charity.

On September 8/9 I will cycle 60 odd miles from Northampton to London (joining my Barclaycard Global Payment Acceptance colleagues John O’Groats to Land’s End challenge for the same charity). I have new padded shorts. On September 25 I will run the New Forest Marathon (a multi-terrain Marathon -that means it is up and down and off road a fair bit). Having used the first two to get fit, I will run the Venice Marathon on October 23.

 The motivation is to support the Army Recovery Capability (ARC)

Launched in February 2010 as a joint venture between the Ministry of Defence and service charities, the ARC addresses the needs of seriously wounded, sick or injured servicemen and women who are unable to continue active service.

When a soldier is assigned to the ARC, each individual undergoes a formal assessment to identify significant issues associated with their recovery. This assessment informs an Individual Recovery Plan which enables soldiers to focus on their expected outcome and maximise their full potential. IRPs integrate all aspects of recovery including medical, welfare, housing, education, re-skilling, work placements and employment opportunities. 

One of the cornerstones of this is education, which Barclays will be supporting.

These education and training grants are wide-ranging and vary from basic-level education to the vocational. Here are some examples of soldiers who have benefited from education and training grants awarded under the IRPs:

 

•                £45 allowed Corporal Roy Newport to complete a British Computer Society Level 1 ITQ course which means he can now demonstrate to any prospective employer that he has reached a recognised, national standard in computer skills, helping him improve his job prospects.

•                £600 covered the cost of Private Tamba Konteh’s one-on-one tuition in preparation for his Maths GCSE examination, providing him with essential numeracy skills which are often a minimum requirement for a job. 

 

•                £1,600 paid for a place on a Business Start-Up Programme for Rifleman Paul. Paul was able to discuss his aspirations and business ideas and how to write a business plan in order to pursue his new career path.

•                £1,036 enabled Private Michael Day to complete a Close Protection course. He acquired specialist skills in surveillance, security and bodyguard training

 

•                £3,894 helped Guardsman Dean Pickard gain a professional welding qualification and develop practical skills which he can build on for a successful future career.

 

The impact 

When soldiers leave the ARC, whether they return to service or lead a civilian life, their IRPs will have a positive and direct impact on the lives of soldiers and former soldiers like Leslie, who served in the Army for 13 years in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2009, Leslie was left severely injured after being involved in an IED incident. After leaving the Army in 2010, Leslie moved back to the North East and tried to survive on a Job Seekers’ Allowance of £45 a week. He turned to The Soldiers’ Charity for support and was granted £5,250 to cover the costs of a domestic engineering course. Without this support, Leslie would not have been able to gain this qualification which has led to him securing a full-time position.

 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.